


Where Dreams Must Tear

by Eiravanora



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, I Punched You The First Time We Met, M/M, Meet-Ugly, Stucky - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2018-12-04 07:44:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11550669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eiravanora/pseuds/Eiravanora
Summary: Meet-ugly AU where Bucky got punched by Steve the first time they met.





	1. Chapter 1

 

Bucky's eyes scanned over the sea of people dancing, jostling, rubbing against each other. He used to enjoy all of this, the loud music, the spinning lights, the smell of sweat and alcohol. This used to be his scene. But now, he felt so out of place.

 

He shoved his hands deeper into his leather jacket and squeezed his way to the bar, right up to a pretty blonde who was openly flirting with the bartender. Her eyes widen before changing into a deep frown when she saw him.

 

"Where's Becca?" he growled as he tried to keep his cool. His face was close enough to her that he didn't have to yell over the music.  She just stared at him steely and shook her head. "I know she's here, Jenny. Where is she?"

 

Jenny started speaking but even though Bucky couldn't hear what she was saying over the loud bass, he could read lips well enough to make out the words 'dancing' and 'a guy'. 

 

He frowned as he looked at the drink in front of her. "You shouldn't drink and drive." His throat burnt as the drink went down in one glup. He felt Jenny's glaring eyes as he walked away. The bartender asked her if he should call security.

 

There she was, his baby sister, being eaten alive by a Justin Bieber look-alike with octopus arms. He pushed his way towards them and without a word, grabbed her by the wrist. He ignored the protests and annoyed stares from those that they passed and almost made a guy spilled his drink as they made their way to the exit at the back of the club.

 

"Hey, watch it!"

 

Bucky was ready to return fire when his anger was momentarily doused by the bluest eyes he had ever seen. But admiration quickly turned to disgust as he regarded the guy's outfit. ' _Who the fuck wears a dress shirt and slacks to a club?_ ' Bucky thought to himself.

 

The air was cooler outside and Bucky took a deep breath before releasing his grip on Becca. The neon lights crackled and buzzed above them as they stood in the alleyway behind the club. 

 

"What the hell are you doing?" she spat as she nursed her wrist. 

 

"I should be asking you the same thing," he shot back, keeping his voice steady despite the anger that was rising inside him. "Ma called. She said you're suppose to be home hours ago. I said you were already asleep. In. My. Bed. Why didn't you tell her where you were? And where's your phone? I've been calling and calling."

 

Becca groaned in frustration and rolled her eyes at Bucky for being such a hypocrite. There was a time when she would catch her brother tip-toeing down the hall late at night. Bucky would sneak out almost every weekend and come home reeking of alcohol. 

 

"How did you even managed to get in? Fake ID? Did Jenny dragged you into this?" Bucky's questions shot out like a machine gun.

 

"I left my phone in the car because I knew you would call. And I wanted to come here, Buck. It was my choice."

 

"Well, it's a stupid choice. I'm taking you home."

 

"No!" Becca backed away as Bucky made an attempt on her wrist. But she lost her footing and landed on the hard ground, just as the backdoor to the club opened. 

 

Jenny looked at Becca and then at Bucky who was having a sick feeling in his stomach because he knew what was about to happen.

 

"You asshole! I knew you're gonna lose it some day! You and your fucking temper!" Jenny rushed to Becca's side and helped her up. She seemed to have twisted her ankle when she fell and scraped her palm.

 

"Jenny, its not what you think." Bucky balled his fists as he tried to stop them from shaking. He knew it was a bad idea to let his sister get too close to his ex-girlfriend. Too much history and too close for comfort. "Becca, I'm taking you home."

 

"Like hell you are! I'm not leaving her with you, not when you're like this."

 

Bucky tilted his head back and gave out a loud sigh. It's been a long day. He should be back at his apartment right now, showered and stuffing his face with cold pizza and watching Netflix. Instead, he had just spent the past 3 hours going from bar to club to bar, looking for his sister. If it hadn't been for Clint who had seen her in the club, he would probably still be searching for her.

 

Bucky took a deep breath to calm himself down just as the backdoor opened again.

 

' _Oh geez, not this clown again,_ ' Bucky thought, giving a once-over at the person who had just stepped out. 

 

It was blue-eyed boy with the disgusting fashion sense.

 

The outfit looked out of place in the club, but it looked evenmore so at the alley, among the dumpster and pee-covered brick wall. Under new light, Bucky noticed how snug the blue shirt fits around the owner's large frame and immediately squared his shoulders, hoping to make himself appear intimidating.

 

"Is...there a problem here?" the guy asked as he shifted his gaze from Bucky to the girls. Bucky wondered if the guy was some kind of undercover security for the club.

 

_'_ _Do they even have such a thing?'_

 

"There's no problem here, pal. Why don't you get back inside," Bucky replied a little too defensively. But the guy wasn't buying it. 

 

"Ladies, is this man bothering you?" he asked again despite already drawn his own conclusion.

 

His back was turned towards Bucky and he could almost make out the muscles that rippled underneath the layer of light blue cotton. Bucky wasn't sure if he should be impressed or intimidated. No introductions were made, yet this guy was already messing with his head. 

 

"Excuse me, why don't you mind your own business?" Bucky called out, pulling his thoughts back together. 

 

"Sir, I think it's best that you walk away," the guy said without turning around. Bucky was unsure which was more appalling, being judged by an overgrown blond boy scout in khaki slacks or being addressed as 'Sir' by someone who was a clearly the same age as him.

 

"Becca we're leaving. Now." His hand reached out for Becca when a pair of thick arms were suddenly infront of him, palms placed dangerously close to his chest, blocking his way. Bucky pursed his lips into a thin line and furrowed his brows. Now he is impressed _**and**_ intimidated. But he still needed to get Becca home.

 

"Miss, do you have any interest to leave with this gentleman?" soldier-boy asked Becca without taking his eyes off Bucky.

 

"No," Becca replied simply. Bucky frowned at her answer but more at how quickly this guy had taken charge of the situation.

 

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous," Bucky replied moving around the guy to grab hold of Becca's arm. 

 

It happened so quickly. Suddenly Bucky found himself being pressed against the wall with his left arm twisted behind him. The pain shot right up his shoulder, conjuring painful memories. Instincts took over. He managed to get out of the arm lock and was about to throw a punch at the guy when the side of his head made contact with something hard.

 

Bucky stumbled back. His head was aching and his ear was ringing. He could taste blood on the inside of his cheek and spat it out. 

 

"What the fuck did you do that for?" Becca half ran, half limped up to Bucky and tilted his head back to assess the damage. "Bucky, are you okay?"

 

The guy stood his ground but his shoulders slumped a little as he turned to look at Jenny, confusion clear on his face.

 

"That's her brother," replied Jenny flatly. 

 

"Fuck this, man!" Bucky pulled away from Becca. "I ain't covering for you no more, Becca. Next time you feel like gallivanting around town, you tell mum the truth. And whatever shit you get yourself into, I ain't gonna pull you out. I'm out of here."

 

Becca called out to her brother. Tears were already streaming down her face.

 

"Come on Becca, let's get your ankle looked at. You can crash at my place, I'll take you home in the morning," Jenny said as she helped her friend back into the club. She gave the guy a slight shoulder shurg and a little smile as they walked passed him.

 

*~*~*

 

Steve took a swig of his beer and sighed. The club was done for the night and the staff was busy closing up. The only reason why he was allowed to stay was because he knew the manager on duty.

 

Natasha tsk-ed at him several times in between counting the cash in the register and tallying the night's sale. He was trying to avoid eye-contact because he knew what she would've said.

 

Natasha warned him about his heroic antics. His incessant need to save everyone would backfire one day and he would end up picking a fight with the wrong guy. Everytime the red-head mention it to him, he always thought she meant getting his ass whooped and handed back to him. Maybe on a silver platter. But that was definitely not what had happened.

 

He played the whole incident over and over again in his head and wondered how he could have assess the whole situation wrongly. He was angry with himself for judging the guy so quickly. Of course, there was a chance that he could have been the girl's brother. A slim chance but still a chance. Steve just didn't think it was quite that possible.

 

"Hey man, look at it this way," Sam took the seat next to him at the bar, half-way through sweeping. "At least you didn't get punched in the face. A shame to ruin that beautiful face."

 

Steve gave him a small smile and appreciated his friend's effort to cheer him up. "I still feel bad, though."

 

"Of course you do. That's cuz you're a good guy. But that don't mean you don't make mistakes. You'll learn." Sam patted him on the back. "Next time, you judge better."

 

Steve frowned at Sam's so-called advice. "I don't think I should even be judging."

 

"See, you're learning already."

 

The grin on Sam's face quickly disappeared when Natasha closed the drawer to the register a little too loudly. He hopped off the barstool and resumed sweeping. Moving away from the bar as quickly as he could. Natasha walked over from the cashier and stood right infront of Steve, forcing him too look at her.

 

"Look, Steve," she started, "he's not pressing charges, right, so you're off the hook. It's not such a big deal. You just made the wrong call, that's all. Don't be so hard on yourself."

 

"Back in the army, if I make the wrong call, people die."

 

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Natasha snapped. "Now, let's talk about something more interesting. Like the guy I'm setting you up with. He's a bad boy. You like bad boys, right Steve?"

 

Steve chuckled as he shook his head. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your kudos and comments give me life! Thank you so much everyone! <3<3<3<3

 

"That looks really nasty," Clint cringed as he examined Bucky's face the next morning during breakfast. Bucky flinched as he back away from Clint's hand. The pain was much worse than it did before. His cheekbone and eye socket were sore and it was definitely swollen. But at least his ear had stopped ringing.

 

"You've seen me in worse condition," Bucky replied. Clint crinkled his nose.

 

"Dude, I still don't get why you didn't call me. I was there," Clint tsk-ed. "I hope you got him good, though." Clint opened the freezer, reached for an unopened bag of frozen peas and handed it to Bucky who accepted it in silence. "You did, right?"

 

"I wasn't going to fight in front of Becca," Bucky sighed, finding comfort in having the frozen peas on his face.

 

"So you just walked away?" Clint asked with raised eyebrows.

 

"There's no shame in walking away," Bucky pointed out. "Unlike some people, I don't like getting punched."

 

Clint poured two cups of coffee and placed one in front of his roommate before taking a seat at the bijou dining table. "Did you call Becca?" he asked taking a sip from his cup.

 

Bucky shoved a spoonful of cereal into his mouth to avoid answering the question.

 

"You need to get her away from Jenny, man. She's bad news. What's she doing hanging around Becca, anyway?"

 

"To spite me," Bucky muttered, mouth full of cereal.

 

"That's....low, man."

 

"That's Jenny."

 

He could feel Clint eyeing him while sipping his coffee. Despite having broken up almost 8 months ago, he can't seem to shake off the phantom that is Jenny. She used to come to his house even after they've broken up, always claiming that she was 'just in the area'. Then she started showing up at the garage where he used to work. And now, God knows what kind of brain-wash she has done to Becca.

 

"You want me to talk to her?" Clint offered.

 

"Jenny?"

 

"Fuck, no. I'm not getting near that hexenbiest. I'm talking about Becca."

 

Bucky sniggered. "Thanks, but no. Becca just needs to grow up."

 

"Maybe," Clint replied, half agreeing with Bucky. "Maybe she just needs someone to listen."

 

Somewhere at the back of his mind, he knew that Clint might be right. He's had enough experience working with troubled teenagers having volunteered at the Y for several years. But Bucky didn't want to admit that Becca was troubled, not when she's his responsibility. A responsibility that he seemed to have forgotten about ever since he moved to New York City.

 

"I need to get to work," he finally said, dumping the rest of his cereal into the bin. He seemed to have lost his appetite.

 

"You sure you'd wanna go to work looking like that? Maria is not going to be happy."

 

"She's not the boss of me," Bucky replied making his way to the bathroom.

 

"Actually, she kinda is," Clint muttered to himself.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The elevator door closed with a swooshed behind Maria Hill as she stepped into the hallway, followed by her assistant. The staccato click-clacking of her heels bounced off the walls of the 35th floor as she made her way down the hall to the glass doors that lead to her office. Bucky held the glass door open as he usually does but instead of walking in, she suddenly stopped and stood toe-to-toe in front of him. Her assistant almost walked right into her. Maria's stern eyes seemed to look right at him, surpassing the dark tinted glasses that he was wearing. He knew what was coming for him, Maria must have heard about his face. The girls at reception are such a gossipy bunch.

 

"Barnes."

 

She has a way of saying his name. He was never sure if she was calling him, acknowledging his presence or simply reading it out loud. It's her way of remaining professional with him, even though they've known each other even before Bucky started working for Stark Industries.

 

"Ma'am," he replied

 

"Please close the door and remove your glasses," she ordered. Bucky released his hand from the handle and the heavy door came to a close on its own. He could see the puzzled look of Maria's assistant. He slowly pulled off the standard issued Ray-ban sunglasses and kept his head low, but that did not help.

 

"Jesus Christ," she muttered, her face softened.

 

"It's not as bad as it looks," Bucky replied, squinting a little, all formality disappeared as he saw the worried look on Maria's face.

 

"How big was this guy?" Maria asked. Her hand reached out to touch the ugly bruise on Bucky's face but she quickly composed herself. "Nevermind, I don't really care," she continued quickly. "But the next time you think about coming to work looking the way you do right now, well, don't. You look like a petty school boy who's had a couple rounds in the schoolyard."

 

Bucky gave her an apologetic smile followed by a little salute and finally opened the door for her. She sauntered passed him without a peep of thanks, contrary to her assistant who never fail to give him a shy smile of appreciation.

 

Bucky returned to standing at attention and decided that that went better than he thought it would. Maria can be a little possessive and protective sometimes when it comes to his safety. Especially after the accident where he had almost lost his left arm. Clint thinks it's a little creepy but Bucky knows that she meant well.

 

Less than a minute later, his phone started to vibrate. His lips curled up a little as he looked at the screen. He pressed to answer but Maria's voice cuts him off before he could even say Hello.

 

"There's gonna be a party this weekend. He wants you there," she said simply.

 

Bucky frowned. "Are you gonna be there?"

 

"Private party. Wants you to the lead the team."

 

Bucky had been part of the security team for several of the company's parties before but he was never placed in charged. And it was never a private party. He still feels like the new kid.

 

"Are you gonna be there?" he asked again.

 

"I'll email you the details," came her reply instead before she hung up.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Steve scribbled his signature at the bottom of the form and thanked the movers for their help. Instantly he was alone, surrounded by cardboard boxes. It going to take a while to unpack everything but time is the one thing that he had an abundance of. Cash, on the other hand, he knew he was running low of. He needed to get a job soon.

 

"Why don't you work here?" Nat asked the last time he was at the club. "We're always shorthanded, especially on weekends."

 

"You want me to serve drinks?" he replied.

 

"Well, I would suggest the kitchen but your cooking is a lot to be desired."

 

Steve chuckled. Natasha was right. Other than mashed potatoes and boiled water, he was hopeless in the kitchen. He does make good salad though, no cooking required.

 

His phone rang just then. He smiled at the name on the screen.

 

"Hello Peggy," he answered. She seems to have this thing on him where no matter how bleak things are, she can always make him smile.

 

"Hello darling, are you a'right?"

 

"Yes, the movers just left. I was just about to start unpacking."

 

"Well, don't. I mean, not yet. Why don't you pop into the shower for a bit and join me for dinner?"

 

"You're in New York?"

 

"Well, not yet. But I will be. In about 2 hours. I'll get the car to come around and fetch you."

 

"No, no. That's alright," Steve declined quickly. "I'll just...meet you there, at...."

 

"The steakhouse."

 

"Right, the steakhouse," Steve smiled at Peggy's choice. The steakhouse was a special place for them.

 

"8 o'clock. Don't you dare be late."

 

*~*~*~*

 

Steve was early. He was about to request for their usual table but Peggy had beaten him to it. She had already called ahead and made reservations. Steve fussed with his shirt collar and wondered if he should have worn a tie. But this wasn't a date, so maybe that would have been an overkill. But Peggy does love it when he dresses up. Maybe the flowers would be a good substitute.

 

He could sense her before he could actually see her, as always. She walked elegantly towards him, each step full of confidence. Her dark hair beautifully pinned up, not a strand out of place. Her red dress hugged her curves like a lover's embrace.

 

Steve stood up to greet her and her face lit up when she saw the flowers.

 

"Oh Steve, these are exquisite. Thank you."

 

She kissed him on the cheek as he beamed proudly like a schoolboy that's been awarded a gold star. They sat down and exchanged pleasantries and Steve was about to call the waiter to take their order when there was a sudden ruckus at the entrance.

 

Flashbulbs were going off and people were clamoring and calling out the one person who could instill such excitement in the public.

 

Tony Stark.

 

He looked around and tilted his head in acknowledgment when his eyes landed on Peggy. He made a beeline for her as security tried to push back the paparazzi. The wide grin on his face was a match to Peggy's scowl.

 

"Good to see you, Rogers!" Tony slapped him on the back, a little harder than anyone normally would before offering his hand. Steve didn't even flinch.

 

"Hello, Tony," Steve replied accepting the handshake.

 

"Tony, what are you doing here?" Peggy hissed.

 

"Did you tell him yet?" Tony stage-whisper to Peggy who's face was getting darker by the minute. "No? You should tell him. Go on, tell him."

 

"Tell me what?" Steve asked, looking from Peggy to Tony and back to Peggy, who's face had softened almost immediately. Tony was grinning as Peggy held up her hand and there it was. A square-cut diamond on display elegantly on her ring finger. It was obnoxiously eye-catching, Steve wondered how he could have missed it.

 

"Angie asked me two days ago," Peggy explained, suddenly shy. Her pale cheeks slowly turning the color of her dress.

 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tony beamed. "I helped picked it out."

 

"No you didn't," Peggy rolled her eyes. "Pepper did."

 

"Well, I recommended the jeweler and I'm familiar with his designs. Pepper loves him. Only the best for my best girl."

 

Steve tried not to frown at that last remark. He was at a lost for words. He was happy for Peggy, that's for sure, but he can't deny the sting from knowing that instead of being The One, he was The One _before_ The One.

 

"Congratulations Peggy. I'm happy, for both of you," Steve finally said. Peggy was ecstatic.

 

"Now will you please go?" Peggy turned to Tony. "You're going to cause a riot."

 

The paparazzi had resorted to taking pictures through the restaurant window, much to the dismay of the other patrons, just to get a good angle.

 

"Hey, how are you in the job front? Doing okay, need any help?" Tony directed his questions to Steve, ignoring Peggy.

 

"Yeah, I haven't really started looking for one yet," replied Steve

 

"Well, I might have something for you."

 

"No, no, it's fine..."

 

"C'mon, really?" Tony looked at Steve, quietly pleading for him to accept his offer. "Look, just, come by, okay? At least come take a look at the new place."

 

Steve looked at Peggy who just gave him a tight-lipped smile which basically means to just say Yes so that Tony would disappear.

 

Steve nodded.

 

"Great!" Tony slapped him on the back, again. "I'll get Happy to come pick you up..."

 

"Tony..." Peggy warned.

 

"What? I mean, not now, of course, you're having your little...whatever. Tomorrow. Tomorrow sounds good?"

 

"Er...yeah," Steve replied reluctantly.

 

"Great. Tomorrow then. I'm gonna go, now." Tony turned to the main door. The crowd had gotten smaller but the paparazzi were still there. "Maybe the back door," he said to no one in particular. "Oh, we're having a thing, by the way. This weekend. For your little, you know," he continued, waving his hand at Peggy, who was about to protest. "Pepper's idea! Not mine. Enjoy your evening" He gave one final wave before heading towards the back and disappeared behind the kitchen door.

 

There was a quiet relieved from the other patrons as soon as Tony disappeared and everything went back to normal.

 

Steve and Peggy finally get to start on their dinner. Peggy talked about what she's been up to and what it's like working for Stark Industries. They went down memory lane a couple of times and laughed about the good old days. But Peggy was not oblivious to the dark cloud that was looming over Steve.

 

"Are you happy for me, truly?" Peggy asked Steve over dessert.

 

"Of course I am, Pegs. It's just..." Steve should have known that nothing gets passed Peggy Carter.

 

"I know..." Peggy replied, reaching for his hand from across the table.

 

"Guess I should have gotten you a bigger diamond," Steve joked.

 

"Oh, stop," Peggy swatted his hand. Steve caught it easily and held on. Peggy let him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seems a little boring. I'm not all that happy about it either. But it's just something to get the story moving along. Next chapter will be better, I promise.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And then, they meet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this and leave kudos, comments and even bookmarked it. I really appreciate it. As a performer, I tend to be overly descriptive on the character's expressions and gestures/body language. I know sometimes it can be a little excessive and unnecessary. Do let me know if it is. And because I write my drafts in points and dialogues, sometimes the talkies take control of the whole chapter. I've managed to cut down a few without making the chapter seemed boring (I hope!) but let me know if it's still too much. Thank you guys! <3<3<3
> 
> PS. If you're a fan of Techno music, then I'm sorry. =(

Bucky positioned himself at the end of the hall, near the emergency exit. The area was clear of guests which helped him remained inconspicuous but still maintained a good view of everything, and whatever blind spots there were, he had eyes up on the balcony where no guests were allowed.

 

Briefing went smoothly and he was happy with his small team of five; a couple of which he had worked with on several occasions. All good men with sufficient experience. A small team for a small private party with a guest list of just 30 people. Bailey and Henderson are placed at the entrance as all guests are required to go through a metal detector and bag check. Standard protocol for all of Mr. Stark's events. Bucky was pleased with everything is so far.

 

The band that was hired had started playing. It seemed to be a themed engagement party, with the theme being the Swinging Forties, or what Clint liked to call 'The era when the world got fucked'. Bucky was familiar with the 40s, besides World War II and whatever he learned in school. His ma was a big fan of Hollywood's Golden Age. He had spent most of his childhood watching Frank Astaire and Ginger Rogers gliding across his television screen in black and white. He was actually glad for the theme, at least he didn't have to spend the next couple of hours listening to annoying techno beats. And he also liked that the place was well-lit. Makes his job so much easier, although, there's usually not that much ruckus at an event such as this.

 

The party was apparently for a couple named Peggy and Angie, according to the banner hanging near the stage, next to the band. The couple was yet to arrive, so were his other bosses; Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, but he could see Maria crossing the still empty dance floor, walking towards him. Ever since he started working at Stark Industries, they seldom socialized outside of work. It was nice to see the Assistant Chief of Security outside of her usual two-piece suits. Even when attending the other company events, she would stick to her sheath or pencil dress in neutral tones. But tonight, she was wearing a beautiful sky blue gown that flowed to the floor and even has a little trail. And she had her hair down instead of the usual tight bun.

 

"Aw...look at you, all dressed up," Bucky teased, just loud enough for Maria alone to hear. "Not planning on dancing tonight?" He looked at the trail of her dress. She just gave him a sarcastic smile.

 

"How is everything?" Maria asked.

 

"Everything is fine, we've checked all the guests. All other exits are secured. There shouldn't be any party crashers. But Bailey did mention that not all the guests have arrived yet," Bucky reported to which Maria checked her watch and let out an annoyed groan. "Are you alright? You seem a little....?

 

"I'm fine," Maria snapped. "I'm fine," she said again but this time, it was more to herself.

 

Bucky cleared his throat. There was a question that had been playing around in his head for the past few days. "By the way, did the big man mentioned why he wanted me to be here tonight?

 

"Maria looked at him sideways. Her stare made Bucky regretted bringing it up.

 

"You were the only one available," she finally replied. Her answer was disappointing, Bucky tried not to let it show.

 

"But...you said...he wanted me - "

 

"You were the only one in the team tonight who was trained by Fury directly," Maria cut him off impatiently.

 

"That's it? That's the only reason?"

 

"What other reason would there be?" She finally turned to look at him. He quickly looked away to hide the hope that was slowly fading from his eyes.

 

"Nothing, I just...nevermind," he shook his head.

 

"You thought you were being evaluated. That there'd be a chance for a promotion." It wasn't a question, Maria figured it out quickly enough. "You've been with the company for less than a year - "

 

"I know," Bucky replied, feeling a little embarrassed.

 

"It's hardly enough time - "

 

"I know, I get it. It's fine." He wanted to drop the subject immediately.

 

"When the right time comes - " Maria continued but it was Bucky's turn to cut her off. She frowned and saw his face hardened as he clicked on the comms trigger in his hand.

 

"Barnes here. Send, over," he said through the walkie. Maria couldn't hear the reply from the other end but by the look on Bucky's face, she knew something was going on. "I'll be right there. Over and out."

 

Maria asked what happened. She followed Bucky's gaze as he walkied to another guard from the balcony to cover his position. "So much for everything being fine," he muttered.

 

Bucky was half-way squeezing through the crowd when he realized Maria was on his tail. He turned around without warning and she almost bumped into his chest.

 

"Stay here," he ordered.

 

"Seriously?" she retorted, looking at him with one raised eyebrow. Bucky knew better than to give her any kind of orders in a situation such as this.

 

When they reached the entrance, where the commotion was happening, there was a man with his hands up, being held at gun point by Bailey who seemed a little dishelved and a petite lady tending to Henderson, who was bleeding from the nose. The assailant's back was facing Bucky but he seemed to be a guest. He definitely dressed like one, in a pin-striped dark grey suit. There was a small tear in the right shoulder of the jacket, which Bucky suspected was the reason why Henderson was bleeding. As Bucky came around the assailant, his stomach started flipping and he started questioning his luck. The broad shoulders, close-cut blond hair, clean-shaved jaw, he should have known.

 

"You," Bucky said eyeing him accusingly.

 

The blond looked up and his face went from hard to soft to grim as all he could say was, "Oh."

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Steve didn't intend on being late. It's unlike him to be tardy for anything, and his sense of timing has always been impeccable. Well, suppose there's a first time for everything. Steve paid the cab driver hastily and didn't even bother to take his change. He really shouldn't be spending money like that, especially since his savings is slowly depleting. But that's just the way he is. He ran up the steps of the Stark Tower two at a time and was greeted by the night guard at who directed him to the function hall. He thought he was the only one who was late but it seemed like there was someone else who was too. But she seemed to be having trouble getting into the hall.

 

"I'm a guest, I'm telling you, I'm a guest. My name is Jane Foster, F-O-S-T-E-R. I'm on the list, check it. Check it." Steve heard the lady saying repeatedly. She was a slim lady of a petite frame. She has attractive pixie-like features if it wasn't all contorted with annoyance.

 

"I'm sorry Ma'am unless you are able to present your invitation, we're under strict orders not to let you in, even if your name is on the list," explained the guard at the entrance. Jane let out a loud unladylike sound of frustration.

 

"Good evening," Steve greeted Jane. "Everything alright here?"

 

Jane laughed a little out of embarrassment before explaining to Steve what was going on. "These goons won't let me in because I forgot my invite," Bailey pretended not to hear her name-calling him and his colleague.

 

"Why don't you come in with me?" Steve suggested. "Steven Rogers, here's my invite," Steve handed the card to the guard, "and here's my date." He offered his arm to Jane, which made her blush as she placed her hand at the crook of his arm. Bailey inspected the card and checked it against the list that his partner was holding.

 

"I'm sorry, Sir, but there's nothing on the list stating a plus-1. You are welcome to join in the party, but I'm afraid you'd have to go in alone," replied the Bailey. Steve just frowned. He thought that its a pretty strict ruling for an engagement party.

 

"C'mon, guys, this is getting ridiculous. Don't you think?" Jane tried reasoning with them again. "I hardly ever get a night off. I didn't spend hours getting dressed just to be turned away."

 

Bailey just looked at Jane and shook his head. A dejected Jane sighed and muttered thanks to Steve. "At least you tried," she shrugged. She was ready to leave when Steve placed a hand on her shoulder lightly, stopping her from going any further.

 

"Hold on a second," he said to her. "It's rude to turn a lady away like that," Steve said to the guards, his voice had dropped an octave lower and his blue eyes darkened under furrowed brows. Jane tried to assure him that it's fine. She didn't want to create a scene but Steve was already not listening. He didn't like that way the guards were treating Jane. They may have just been doing their jobs but he felt that it was unnecessary for them to simply turn her away without considerations.

 

"Are we going to have a problem here, sir?" Henderson asked, holding a hand up. He was not that much bigger than Steve, but even if he was, Steve was not intimidated easily.

 

"Sir, I gonna need you to stop right there," the other guard said. It did not escape Steve's eyes that he was already reaching for the baton on his belt. Steve looked down at Henderson's hand that was on his chest and a quick flashback of what happened outside the club went through his head. Only the roles are being reversed now.

 

Steve looked at the guard straight in the eye and said, "Son, just don't."

 

"Sir, if you take one more step, I would have to physically restrain you," Henderson warned him. But he wasn't having it. He just wanted to get inside and he wanted the lady to be able to do the same. Both of them are guests to the event and both of them are on the list. Both of them deserved to be able to enjoy themselves.

 

Steve ignored the warning and took a step forward, which caused everything to escalate. And it all went to shit.

 

The guard grabbed him by the shoulder. Steve pushed it away, turned and stepped to the side. Henderson released his baton from his belt and took a swing at Steve. He was able to get out of the way and grabbed Henderson's hand and used the same baton to disable the guard. Henderson fell back and blood was streaming down from his nose. The next thing he knew, Bailey was yelling at him to stop and put his hands up. A gun was pointed at him. Steve froze and slowly put his hands up. His face was hard and grim.

 

Bailey used his free hand to walkie for back up and seconds later there were footsteps behind him. From his peripheral vision, he saw a tall dark haired woman floating past him in a light blue gown. She went straight for the bleeding guard who was, ironically, being tended to by Jane. There was another set of footsteps coming up behind him. It was heavier. When the owner finally came into view, all he could think of was, "Oh, fuck."

 

James's jaw tightened as he looked at Steve. His icy blue eyes would shoot daggers if it could. Evidence of their previous altercation was still clear on his face. The swelling was gone but the bruising was still there. Albeit it being green and yellow instead of purple and blue. It was apparent to Steve that James was the person the two guards report to. Steve tried to explain himself but was quickly told to shut up. He listened quietly as the guard explained the situation.

 

"Sir, do you know why you have a firearm directed to you?" James finally said to Steve who simply nodded as he wasn't sure if he was allowed to speak as yet. James looked down at his invitation before speaking again. "Very well then, Mr. Rogers..."

 

"Captain," Steve corrected, in unison with the lady in the blue dress. Steve turned to look at her as she ordered the guard to stand down. She then held out a hand to him and introduced herself. "Captain Rogers, it's an honor. Maria Hill, Assistant Chief of Security."

 

Steve accepted the hand that was offered to him quickly because it was impolite to do otherwise. Especially to a lady. She went on to introduce the other members of the security team, including James Barnes. Who did his best to appear passive.

 

"I apologize for what had happened," Maria continued, ignoring the wide-eyed stare from Barnes. "Dr. Foster had explained everything to me and it was clear that it was just a misunderstanding."

 

Steve turned to look at the petite lady that Hill was indicating to and smiled gratefully. She smiled back and gave him a little nod. Just as Steve thought the night couldn't get any messier, he heard a familiar voice called out to him. Steve turned and felt like the wind was knocked out of him. It was Peggy. She looked absolutely breath-taking in a gold sparkly gown that had a high slit at the side, revealing a lot of leg as she rushed towards the crowd. Angie was close behind her looking equally beautiful and equally puzzled.

 

"What the hell happened?" she asked anxiously, looking at the guard at the corner with a blood-stained shirt, and the rest of them. Before anyone could say anything, the boss man himself appeared with his girlfriend and CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts, hanging onto the crook of his arm.

 

"What's going on here? The party being moved outside?" Stark questioned loudly as he approached them. Then he looked at grim-faced Steve and at the bleeding guard and back at Steve and came to a conclusion. "You just couldn't resist it, could you?" he mocked, feigning disappointment. But Peggy was not faking it, she truly was disappointed in Steve and the way she looked at him made him feel hollow. Maria started addressing Tony, Pepper, and Peggy and explained how there's been an unfortunate misunderstanding that got out of hand.

 

"Misunderstanding? Has it all been cleared?" Tony interrupted.

 

"Yes, Sir," Maria replied.

 

"Well then, why are we still hanging around here? Let's get inside." Tony clapped Steve on the shoulder and stage-whispered to his ear, "You couldn't wait until the end of the party to get into trouble?"

 

"I expected a lot more from you, Steve," Peggy started scolding him. "But seeing that you only did it to save the damsel in distress, I'll let you off easy this time. Please, allow me to introduce to you one of the world's leading astrophysicists, Dr. Jane Foster."

 

Tony planted an air-kiss on Jane's cheek and mentioned how nice it was to see her again while Steve nodded and smiled. "Ma'am."

 

"Oh please, Jane. Just call me Jane," she smiled at Steve before turning to Tony and Pepper. "And I'm so sorry for the confusion. Captain Rogers was just being kind and well,...it just kinda escalated," she shrugged.

 

"It's fine," Pepper assured her. "Like Maria said, it was all a misunderstanding. Steve, we're sorry that the Bailey had to point the firearm at you. But they were just doing their job. You understand, right?" Pepper said to Steve.

 

"An excellent job too, if you ask me," Tony quipped. "Fantastic job, guys!" He gave two thumbs up to guards. Bailey grinned while Henderson raised his hand. Bucky's jaw almost dropped. Pepper reminded Maria to ensure that they get the necessary compensation.

 

"It was my fault," Steve spoke up. "I shouldn't have provoked them."

 

"Yeah, why did you?" Tony teased. Pepper held a hand up to stop Steve from trying to explain himself again and suggested that it high time they join the party. Peggy and Angie looked at each other adoringly and smiled. Steve pretended that there was something more interesting on the sleeve of his suit.

 

As they made their way to the hall, Bucky thought it would be a good idea to make himself known to his employers, so he ran up to Tony and Pepper to introduce himself.

 

"Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts, good evening," Bucky said to Tony and Pepper. Pepper smiled warmly and greeted him back. Tony just looked at him and it was clear that he had no idea who Bucky was.

 

"James Barnes sir, head of the security team for the night."

 

"Oh, so it was your idea to point the gun at the Captain?" Tony teased. "Good job, well done. Next time, please just go ahead and shoot him. He's a pest."

 

Steve chuckled as Pepper tsk-ed and swatted his arm lightly. But Bucky failed to see the humor in it. Bucky wasn't sure what to make of that remark so he just smiled and let them walk by. Tony was still laughing and had moved on to talk about how Steve used to get into a lot of trouble in Basic Training because he was such a sassy smart-ass. Maria who was behind them just gave him a 'What the fuck are you doing?' kind of look and he knew that he had messed up big time.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Everyone raised their glasses and congratulated the happy couple. The celebration continued, the band was in full swing, people were dancing and drinking and the rest of the night was relatively peaceful. Maria had sent Henderson to the medical wing to get himself checked and instructed James to request one of the night guards to from the lobby to stand in with Bailey. So Bucky was back at his previous post, by the emergency exit door, which quite coincidentally was near the VIP table where his bosses sat together with their personal friends. Other guests took turns coming up to the VIP table to congratulate Peggy and Angie personally and some even flirted openly with Steve, hoping to get him to dance, or maybe even go home, with them. Bucky rolled his eyes each time he saw it happened. Others would revel in the attention that was being showered upon him but Steve was actually uncomfortable with it. He would smile politely and reciprocate the compliments whenever he can but any kind of amorous gestures seemed to fly over his head. Bucky noticed that he was hardly drinking and not once did he dance. Bucky wondered if Captain Rogers was suffering from PTSD. Bucky wondered if Captain Rogers knew how to dance. Bucky wondered why he was spending so much of his time wondering about Captain Rogers when he should be doing his job.

 

Bucky looked at his watch. Fifteen more minutes before the party ends. Then it would be time to usher the guests out, sweep the room for suspicious items, debrief and then call it a night. Now would be a good time to go for a toilet break. He requested for Ashton once again as he made his way to the Gents. He passed the VIP table and locked eyes with Steve for a few seconds. He would have gladly given Steve the middle finger if Maria wasn't watching him like a hawk.

 

The toilet was empty, no surprise there. Everyone in the offices was gone for the day and the only ones left in the building were the ones at the party, the night guards and the residents of the apartment suites in the west tower. Bucky chose the third urinal out of the five. No particular reason, he just liked the idea of having the same number of empty urinals next to him. Weird habits like these keep him sane. As he proceeded with his business, the door opened and who else would walk in but Captain Rogers himself.

 

"Fuck me," Bucky muttered under his breath. Steve looked at him curiously and Bucky wondered if he had heard him. Steve took the first urinal, the one closest to the sinks. The sound of them peeing echoed through the otherwise quiet toilet. It was unsettling somehow. Bucky just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. He was hoping to take an extra minute or two just for himself before going back to the party but it looked like he had to forget about that. Bucky washed his hands and left the toilet as quickly as he could without having to make a run for it. He had no desire to be in such close proximity to Steve. His hopes of disappearing into the crowd were crushed when he heard Steve calling out to him.

 

"Hey, wait!"

 

Bucky ignored him and kept on walking until he felt Steve's hand grabbing his arm. He immediately went into defensive mode and jumped back. Steve did the same and had his hands up in front of him.

 

"I just want to talk," Steve explained, holding his palms out. "Just talk."

 

Bucky lowered his hands. Steve was still a guest no matter what.

 

"I don't believe there's anything to talk about, Captain." Bucky turned and resumed walking. Steve's stride was a match for his so there was no way Bucky could out-walk him.

 

"Please, call me Steve. Listen, I just want to apologize for what happened - "

 

"It was a misunderstanding," Bucky replied curtly.

 

" - at the club," Steve continued. Bucky stopped abruptly and stared at Steve who he only just realized, was about 5 inches taller than him. Bucky felt his eye twitched at the mentioned of the club. It felt like his bruised eye socket was pulsing again. "I know I should have assessed the situation better. I shouldn't have punched you, I should've minded my own business..."

 

"Then why didn't you?" Bucky spat.

 

"I...I don't know. I just...all I saw was a young girl in trouble and you looked like....like.."

 

"Like what?" Bucky asked the tone in his voice was challenging Steve to finish his sentence. Steve backed down and remained silent. "You may be good friends with Mr. Stark or even be a war hero, but that doesn't give you the right to go around hitting people. You broke Henderson's nose!"

 

"I'm really sorry," Steve shoved his hands deep into his pockets and shrugged. "I don't know what else to say."

 

"Then don't say anything. I've seen how you move. Your stature and military training make you dangerous," Bucky said taking a step closer to him. "Just...stay out of my way. Captain."

 

Steve watched Bucky walked back to the function hall. He was beginning to wonder if moving to New York was a good idea at still.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finally did something right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thank you so much for all your kudos and comments and bookmarks! I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying this. I'm sorry that this chapter took a little longer. I had to keep rewriting it because I wanted to get it just right. And I would like to explain that I am not a native New Yorker, so I have no idea how things really are and if I make any geographical mistakes in the story, then I'm so sorry. I try to keep such details as vague as possible. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

Clint observed quietly as the crease between Bucky's eyebrows deepened. He's been trying to get a hold of Becca the whole morning and she, as usual, was ignoring his calls.

 

"Voicemail again?" Clint finally asked, mid-way chewing on his toast.

 

Bucky nodded grimly. He placed his mobile on the table and took a sip of his coffee. He gave himself a few seconds to relish the robust taste of the perfectly brewed beans, before going back to worrying about his sister. She has been ignoring his calls for the past two weeks and if it wasn't for his Ma, he wouldn't even know it whether she's been coming home at all.

 

"Sorry man. How's your mum taking it?" 

 

Bucky grabbed a toast and started slathering it with jam. "She's at her wit's end. Said she doesn't know what to do. I feel bad for her. I can't believe Becca would do this to her."

 

"Well, you weren't exactly a golden child either," Clint reminded him.

 

"Yeah, but at least my dad was still around to help."

 

Clint didn't say anything else after that. George Barnes' death was hardly talked about. He was not close to his kids, spends most of his days at work and ruled his household with an iron hand. He may not have been a warm and loving father but he doted on his wife. Bucky was spared from several beatings because of his ma.

 

"Urgh, I'm never having kids," Bucky groaned, running his fingers through his hair. Clint laughed.

 

"They're not that bad. Sometimes, it can be really tough and all you wanna do is wrap your fingers around their scrawny little necks. But then you see them grow up and achieve something, even something as simple as tying their shoelaces or hitting their first bullseye in archery and you can't help but be proud because you helped them get there. And that feeling, man, it's unbelievable...just amazing."

 

Bucky just looked at his friend, all glassy-eyed and face full of pride, and he couldn't help it. "God, you're a sap," he laughed.

 

"Shut up," Clint replied, cheeks turning a little red.

 

"Do you miss it, hanging around with those kids? would you wanna go back?" Bucky asked after he managed to compose himself.

 

"Pfft...hell no. I had some great times at the Y but no, I did it once, for 3 years. I'm done. Time to move on."

 

"And now you're a butcher."

 

"Now I'm a butcher," Clint replied proudly. Bucky chuckled at Clint's current choice of profession. He has always been the kind who would choose jobs that have no relation to each other. Once, he was even a circus performer. "Hey, any news about college?"

 

Bucky's mood dampened as the conversation steered back to Becca. "Ma said there's been letters from a couple of them but Becca hasn't opened it yet. And she gets so upset about it when ma asked her. I don't think she's interested in going to college anymore."

 

Clint just shook his head. He sympathizes with his friend but he didn't want to poke his nose in where he's not wanted. Especially since Bucky had turned his offer to help before. He hoped that things would get better for them. It's a waste on Becca's part because Clint knew of her potential and how smart she is. If only there was a way for him to reach out to her.

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

"Well, well, well, look who's here two nights in a row," Natasha purred. "You miss me that much?"

 

Clint grinned as he tipped the waitress. "What can I say, you got me wrapped around your finger."

 

"I'm a lucky girl," Natasha winked. She then signaled to the bartender for another beer seeing that Clint had already finished his. "You're alone tonight?"

 

"Oh, I'm alone every night, Nat. You know I only got eyes for you."

 

Natasha laughed at how cheesy that sounded. "Where's Barnes?"

 

"Being anti-social, as usual," Clint rolled his eyes.

 

"It's so weird seeing him like this. He used to be..."

 

"Fun?" Clint offered.

 

"Full of life," Natasha corrected him, and she's right. Before the accident, Bucky was always the life of the party. Everybody wanted to be in his presence.

 

A waitress arrived with the beer that Natasha requested for and placed it in front of Clint. Natasha smiled and said it's on the house. Clint gave her an appreciative toast of the bottle and took a sip. Clint likes the booth seats. They're on the other side of the bar and away from the dancefloor and the booming speakers. Clint's eyes followed Natasha's and together they scanned the space around them. His gaze fell on the big man at the end of the dancefloor. He was standing at attention which Clint thought was a little too military for a club bouncer.

 

"Who is that?" Clint asked Natasha, pointing with his chin.

 

"That's Steve, a buddy of mine."

 

"Huh," Clint replied. "He seems..."

 

"Out of place? Yeah, Steve has issues fitting in. He can extract and strategize but when it comes to socializing, it's a little awkward for him."

 

"That's why he has you," Clint pointed out.

 

Natasha smiled smugly. "That's why he has me."

 

They enjoyed each others' company is silence for several more minutes before Sam came over to Natasha and said that she's needed at the front door. She turned to Clint and said, "Don't leave without saying 'goodbye'?"

 

"Wouldn't dream of it."

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Bucky put his feet up and wiggled deep into the couch to make himself comfortable. He smiled at the smell of melted cheese and perfectly baked crust as he lifted the pizza box open. The opening credits to Doctor Who started playing and he moaned with satisfaction as he took a bite out of his double pepperoni and cheese. Then his phone started vibrating, the dull humming cut through his little anti-social bubble.

 

Bucky glanced at the phone and cursed. He decided to ignore it. But after it vibrated two more times in less than three minutes, Bucky gave up.

 

"I'm not leaving," Bucky said to the caller.

 

"Not telling you to." Clint's voice was barely audible on the other line. The loud pumping of the bass could be heard in the background.

 

"Then why 'chu call?"

 

"Cuz....Becca was here. And she was not alone."

 

"Jenny?"

 

"Well, yeah..."

 

Bucky waited but Clint never finishes his sentence. "And who else? Who was she with?"

 

"No one, there was no one else. Nat denied her entry, Jenny started kicking up a fuss because she was allowed in the first time."

 

"Okay, so?"

 

"Well,.....Nat overheard Jenny telling Becca that there's another place that they could go to that don't require ID. And that she'd introduce her to _a friend_." Clint stressed on the last two words.

 

"You don't think...?"

 

"I don't know, man. Might be just a friend? Listen, just don't do anything stupid, okay?"

 

Bucky's jaw tightened and his knuckles turned white from gripping his phone too tightly. He hung up on Clint and left the apartment immediately.

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Bucky's feet were sore. He walked around for hours looking for Becca. He even went to a couple of the old places that he and Jenny used to hang out together with their 'friends', but it looked like those places have been abandoned for quite some time. It was already 1 AM and he can't wait to crash into bed. Then he thought of the half-eaten pizza that would already be cold and he groaned in despair.

 

As he was walking up to his apartment building, he noticed a couple coming from the opposite direction. The girl had a jacket wrapped around her shoulders that was much too big for her and she seemed to be crying while the guy was sans jacket and a few steps behind her. 'Must've had a fight', he thought to himself. It's not something that he hasn't seen before.

 

It wasn't until they've gotten closer did he realize who the girl was.

 

"Becca?"

 

The girl looked up and immediately ran into his arms, burying her face into his chest. The jacket had dropped as she was running and he noticed then that there were a few tears in her clothes. The guy that was behind her picked the jacket up and approached them.

 

"You!" Bucky quickly moved Becca behind him. "What the fuck did you do to my sister?"

 

"Bucky, no!" Becca grabbed at him as hard as she could. Her nails digging deep into his sleeve jacket. "He saved me. Bucky, Steve saved me!"

 

Bucky thought he had heard her wrong. He looked at Steve who was staring at him defensively with his blue eyes.

 

"What do you mean 'saved you'? Saved you from what?" Bucky asked Becca sharply. "Weren't you suppose to be with Jenny?"

 

"I was! But...she...she brought me to...somewhere because I couldn't get into the club. There were people and drinks and the place smelled weird. And there was this guy....and he...he..." Becca couldn't finish telling her story but Bucky didn't need her to. Fresh sobs came out of her as Bucky wrapped his arms around her. He was gritting his teeth so tightly, his jaw was starting to hurt.

 

"Shhh...you've safe now, kid. Let's go upstairs, okay?" Bucky said softly to his sister as he led her into the apartment building. Leaving Steve alone on the sidewalk.

 

When Steve found Becca wander the streets alone, he knew something was wrong. He approached her with caution and was thankful that she recognized him and did not run away from him. Although, she was cautious when he offered his help, and he managed to assure her that all he wanted to do was help her. He promised to always be a few steps behind her unless they run into any kind of danger. As much as Steve wanted to do the right thing, he was kind of hoping that this would be a chance to start over with Bucky. But Bucky didn't even thank him, let alone wanted to start over. Bucky's words from the engagement party still clear in his mind.

 

'Just...stay out of my way. Captain.'

 

Steve sighed and put his jacket back on. Guess it was time for him to head home. At least he managed to save the girl. He smiled to himself and started walking. He was about to turn the corner when he heard his name being called. He turned around to see Bucky running up to him.

 

"Hey, I never get a chance to thank you," Bucky said after catching his breath.

 

"Why are you out of breath?" Steve asked, a little surprised.

 

"I ran down the stairs."

 

"Why?"

 

"Because it's faster than the elevator."

 

"Oh."

 

An awkward silence fell between them for a few seconds before Bucky spoke again. "So...I just want to say, thanks. You know, my sister."

 

"You're welcome," Steve smiled genuinely, and a little shyly. An unexpected warmth washed over Bucky.

 

"Anyways, I know its late, but you...wanna come up for a drink?" Bucky asked before sputtering, "I mean, you must be tired and all. Becca said you guys walked for almost 2 hours. But I'm sure...I'm sure you'd wanna get home. I just thought, you know, if you want. As a 'thank you'," Bucky shrugged and jammed his hands into his jeans pocket.

 

"You got coffee?" Steve raised his eyebrows, his smile still etched on his face.

 

"Coffee? Yeah, I got coffee," Bucky laughed, not exactly knowing what was so funny.

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little filler chapter before I get to the next one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for taking so long to update. A lot has happened, my daughter finally started school, I started a new job, my husband was busy with Halloween. And everything else. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this little update.

Bucky woke up to the sound of cartoons blaring from the TV outside. He must have only had a few hours of sleep, and lots of coffee. In a way, he's glad that it was coffee rather than alcohol. At least he's not waking up to a hangover. He let out a massive yawn and stretched as he made his way out of Clint's bed. He was greeted by the sight of Becca and Clint watching cartoons and sharing a big bowl of cereal. Seemed like they couldn't decide on just one so they mixed three different kinds.

 

"That's disgusting," Bucky reacted to the cereal cocktail. He drank the leftover coffee from a few hours ago and cringed, questioning himself on what was more disgusting.

 

"Well, good morning to you too," Clint replied eyes glued to the TV screen. "Care to explain why you're in my bed?"

 

"Well, you weren't exactly using it, were you? What time did you get back?"

 

"About half hour ago. Was about ready to crash when I saw you in my bed. Figured Becca was sleeping in yours and I was right. Slugger here came out of your room and made me watch cartoons with her just as I was about to fall asleep on the couch."

 

"I didn't make you," Becca replied, mouth full of cereal. "You wanted to."

 

"Stop eating all the marshmallows," Clint pointed out, ignoring her.

 

"Hey, what time did Steve leave last night?" Becca asked. Bucky was a little unprepared for the question. He eyed Clint who was pretending not to hear, but he had an eyebrow up.

 

"Ermm...he..he didn't stay long. I mean, he just had one cup of coffee and then he left."

 

"You sure? 'Cuz I got up to go to the bathroom at around 4 am and I could hear you guys still talking."

 

 "You must've had the time wrong -"

 

"You guys have an alarm clock in the bathroom, I saw the time. Why do you have an alarm clock in the bathroom, anyway?" Bucky said nothing but just pointed to Clint.

 

"I like to know what time it is," Clint replied defensively.

 

"Becca, why don't you go get ready? I'll take you home."

 

"Or....you could take me to work with you," Becca grinned.

 

"I don't have work today."

 

"Yes, you do. Check your phone."

 

Bucky checked his phone and Becca was right. There was a read message from Maria asking him to come in for an urgent meeting. Bucky frowned. He hates urgent meetings more than being called in on his off days. But he knew when he started this job that he would be on-called 24 hours. Becca has been bugging him to take her to Stark Towers ever since he started working there.

 

"I'm not taking you to work. I'll call you a cab."

 

"Nooooo.....at least let me stay here. Pleaseeee....." Becca whined as Clint chuckled. He's all too familiar with this kind of negotiations.

 

"Fine, you can stay here," Bucky replied and started dialling his childhood home number. "Hello, Ma? Yeah, yeah, she's here. I know....I know. I'm sorry. I said I'm sorry, Ma! Yeah......yeah, she told me she lost it. Yeah, okay...okay, I'll get her a new one. Hang on."

 

He handed the phone over to Becca who simply frowned and pouted, not looking forward to the conversation with their mother but took the phone anyways.

 

"Hi Ma..." her voice trailed as she made her way to the bathroom for the rest of the call.

 

"So," Clint said suddenly. "Who's Steve?"

 

"No one," Bucky replied.

 

"Hmmm....is it the same 'no one' that I saw leaving the building this morning?"

 

"You saw him?" Bucky asked, surprised. Clint just cocked his brow and smiled cockily. Bucky resigned with a sigh. "He was the one who found Becca last night, I offered him a drink, you know, to say thanks. We ended up talking the whole night and I offered him the couch."

 

"How nice of you," Clint replied teasingly. Bucky just ignored him. "He looks awfully familiar. Have I met him before?"

 

"Doubt it. He's only just moved here from DC."

 

"Hey, you think it'll be alright if Becca hangs with me today? I mean, she can stay in the apartment all she wants but, I won't be here. In case you need someone to keep an eye on her."

 

"What're your plans?"

 

"Nothing much, just gonna meet up with Nat."

 

"Again? Weren't you just with her last night?"

 

"Yeah, so?"

 

"Nothing. Fine, if she wants to come along, then I'm fine with it."

 

"Cool. Hey Becks, you're with me today!" Clint called out just as Becca came out of the bathroom. She handed the phone back to Bucky and made a face at Clint.

 

"Do we have to go to the butchery?"

 

"Nope. We're doing something much more fun. We're going to the Zoo!"

 

Becca rolled her eyes. "I liked you better when you were working for the circus."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The briefing room was already filling up when Bucky arrived. A little more casual looking than the other conference rooms in the building, the rest of the security team were seated comfortably in armchairs and sofas. Bucky noticed that three of the ladies from Human Resource were also there, all snuggled together, sharing a giant bean bag as their bare feet rubbed against one of the fur rugs that's scattered around the room. Bucky chose to seat on one of the bar stool closest to the front of the room where all the furniture is facing. A few of his colleagues were already there, choosing to stand for the occasion, rather than be seated.

 

A light buzz was going around the room. It's no secret that when a briefing was held in this particular room, it means Mr Tony Stark himself will be addressing everyone, and some of the newer staff haven't had the opportunity to see the man up close.

 

"So....any idea what's going on?" Bucky asked Henderson, who was glad to be back on duty, despite still having to walk around with a bandaged nose. Henderson just shrugged, he was as clueless as Bucky was.

 

"Heard there's a new guy," replied someone from behind him.

 

"Mr Stark is introducing a new guy?" Bucky was surprised. New officers are usually introduced by Maria in her usual lustreless manner just outside her office, followed by a short briefing for the day. Bucky started feeling a little unsettled.

 

The room quietened down almost immediately when the double doors of the briefing room opened. Leading the group was Pepper, looking graceful and put together as always in a high-collared cream pencil dress. She glided across the room in her high heels effortlessly. The difference between her and Maria, was evident as the dark haired woman followed closely behind in a regular measured tread, dressed in a deep maroon sheath dress. Tony was trailing behind as he shook hands left and right, and even taking his time to pose for selfies with one or two of the staff. The unsettling feeling in Bucky's stomach sank even deeper when he caught a glimpse of blond hair behind Tony, and he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he saw Steve looking unexpectedly dashing in a black suit and blue striped tie.

 

The impassive look on Steve's face disappeared and lit up as he saw Bucky. His lips curled up automatically, and Bucky responded with flushed cheeks and a sheepish grin, which just made Steve smiled even bigger. He went on to take his position next to Maria and Tony, a step behind Pepper who was facing the room.

 

"Good morning, everyone. Thank you for taking the time to be here," Pepper greeted everyone cheerily. "I understand that it is an off day for some of you. I promise that this won't take long. So, here's Mr Tony Stark."

 

The room exploded as the staff of Stark Industries showed their love to Tony. Tony gave faced the room with his eyes closed and his arms wide opened, welcoming and relishing the roar of claps and cheers. He gave a bow and the room quietened down.

 

"It's so good to see all of you here. I know that we don't get to do this often, so we really appreciate this. Now, some of you might have seen me and Miss Pepper walking around with this handsome blond gentleman here," Tony pointed to Chris who looked like he would rather jump into a hole. "Don't worry, he's not taking over Stark Industries. He is, however, is joining the team. The security team, to be precise. I have been trying to get him onboard for years but he kept turning me down. He thinks that he could do better than Stark Industries. How ridiculous is that?" Tony chuckled as he turned to look at Chris, who was slowly turning red. "Well, anyways, I'm just glad that he finally agreed to join us. We are honoured and humbled to have him onboard. Please join me in welcoming your new Chief of Security, Captain Steve Rogers."

 

Everyone clapped respectfully. Steve gave a little nod and a wave before taking Tony's hand only to be pulled to the front with Tony, to the address the room. Steve quickly shook his head Bucky could see the sheer panic on his face, which he had to admit, was pretty adorable.

 

"Erm, Thank you, everyone. Thank you for the welcome. I hope you'd still be a welcoming when I start scheduling routine security checks on everyone." Steve chuckled at his own joke, but the room seemed to not share his sense of humour. Everyone just looked at him blankly. Bucky had to bite on the inside of his cheek as to not laugh out loud. Steve cleared his throat and tried again. "I...erm, I....thank you. Thank you, everyone."

 

And with that, he quickly slinked back to where he stood before.

 

"Riiiight...." Tony eyed his old friend with amusement. "Your Chief of Security, everyone."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The conference ended with another little announcement made by Maria. As they welcome the Chief of Security, they said goodbye to their Shift Supervisor, who have decided to go into early retirement after devoting 25 years to Stark Industries. Bucky wasted no time in approaching Maria regarding the vacancy.

 

"We've gone through this. It's too soon." Maria sighed, as they made their way towards the elevators, together with a few others from the briefing room. Tony, Pepper and Steve have already made their way to an early lunch.

 

"Yes, I know you said that, but, I mean, I could right? I mean, just tell me what I need to do? Is there some kind of training I'd have to go through, any kind of test? I'll even put in the extra hours. You know, I can do it."

 

"Yes, I know you can. But it's still too soon. It wouldn't be fair to the others."

 

"The others, who? You already have someone in mind?" Bucky stopped in his tracks, blocking Maria's way. 

 

"The others who've been here longer than you. Now, leave it."

 

Maria stepped around Bucky and walked away.

 

"Aw c'mon Maria, just at least think about it!" Bucky called out, a little louder than intended, causing a few people to turn and look at them. Maria stopped walking and turned to stare at Bucky. "I mean, Ma'am. Miss Hill. _Lieutenant_...Hill?" Bucky walked up to her, buttering her up. 

 

"I'll think about it," Maria sighed again. "But I have to say, the final decision does not lie in my hands. You have a Chief of Security now. So, why don't you try _sucking_ up to him instead?"

 

Bucky was left speechless as Maria winked at him knowingly before walking away.  

**Author's Note:**

> That's all i have for now. Comment if you'd like to read more. And please do check out my other works if you have the time and if you have any prompts for me or simply would like to drop me a note, here's me on [Tumblr](http://godlovelifemusic.tumblr.com/)


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